Inflatable mandrel



G. L. MAY

INFLATABLE MANDREL Filed Dec. 12, 1966 lllmhw Feb. 4, 1969 INVENTOR. YGERALD L. MAY B 03M 6% H II PQ w

United States Patent 3,425,642 INFLATABLE MANDREL Gerald L. May, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 601,012 US. Cl. 24272 Int. Cl. B65h 75/18, 67/00 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to winding roll mandrels and more particularly to an inflatable mandrel that transmits torque and substantial radial lift to a winding roll by substantially increasing its diametrical load-carrying dimensions when inflated.

One important feature of the mandrel of this invention is that, in its deflated condition wherein the outside diameter of the mandrel is substantially less than the diameter of the hollow core of a winding roll, the mandrel may be quickly and efliciently inserted into the core of the roll. This feature, in addition to providing speed during the changeover of mandrels, also permits the mandrel to be inserted into the winding core regardless of irregularities throughout the length of the core diameter of the winding roll. The reduced diameter uninflated mandrel thus eliminates the problems encountered in forcing a full diameter metal mandrel into the hollow core of a winding roll, which includes damage to the separate cardboard liners that are used with paper rolls or textile rolls.

After the uninflated mandrel is inserted into the core of the winding roll, the mandrel may be inflated to greatly increase the effective outside diameter of the mandrel until it fully supports the winding roll. When desired, it is possible to support the ends of the mandrel in a position where the center line of the mandrel is above the center line of the winding roll and the mandrel will actually lift the winding roll off the ground as it is inflated.

Moreover, the inflatable mandrel of this invention provides outstanding gripping characteristics that reduce the possibility of winding roll slippage on the mandrel during the stopping or starting of the rotation of the roll. This feature is extremely important when the winding roll is one station in a fabricating, printing, or processing train. The mandrel also materially reduces lateral and radial shifting of the winding roll on the mandrel.

In most applications, the inflatable mandrel of this invention provides beneficial weight advantages in that it eliminates the use of large metal mandrels having diameters approximately the same as that of the winding roll core. In addition, one particular mandrel may be used for a substantial range of winding roll core diameters, thereby reducing the need for a number of different-sized mandrels.

According to this invention, an inflatable mandrel includes a small diameter mandrel core and a plurality of axially spaced flat inflatable tubes that circumferentially extend about the periphery of the mandrel core, each of the individual tubes being capable of radially expanding a when inflated to provide a load-bearing mandrel having a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the mandrel core.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example one inflatable mandrel designed according to and embodying the principles of this invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partially broken sectional view of the inflatable mandrel supporting a paper roll with one-half of the mandrel shown in its uninflated condition and the other half shown in its fully inflated condition; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the uncured construction of one of the inflatable tubes.

The inflatable mandrel 10 preferably includes an aluminum mandrel core or axle member 12 having four axially spaced fabric reinforced tubes 14, 16, 1B and 20 snugly encircling the periphery of mandrel core 12. An air pressure supply line 22 is in communication with each of the individual tubes. The left half of inflatable mandrel 10 is shown in FIG. 1 in its fully inflated condition supporting a typical roll of paper 28 wound on a cardboard liner The individual inflatable tubes 14, 16, 18 and 20 shown in FIG. 1 are of similar constructions and therefore only tube 14 will be described in detail. Tube 14 is preferably constructed from four plies of rubber reinforced fabric material having a bias angle of 26. The four plies 32, 32 are laid up so that the opposite plies have opposing angles. The tubes 14 may be fabricated by techniques similar to those used in the construction of conventional bias built automobile tires. In FIG. 2, the individual ply ends are preferably butt spliced and reinforced with gum strips 34. The splices are staggered on the outermost wall of tube 14 to minimize irregularities along this load'engaging wall. An inflation stem 36 is molded to the inside wall of the tube 14 as shown in FIG. 2.

The pneumatic supply line 22 is connected to the inflation stems 36, 36 of each of the tubes by suitable fittings as shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, the tubes 18 and 20 are shown in their deflated or flattened condition where theh overall outside diameter of the inflatable mandrel 10 is substantially less than the inside diameter of the cardboard liner 30. In this condition, the mandrel may be easily inserted into the core of liner 30. After the mandrel 10 is inserted in liner 30, a suitable air supply is communicated to the individual tubes through supply line 22 to inflate the individual tubes to their fully inflated condition shown typically by tubes 14 and 16 in the left half of mandrel 10 in FIG. 1. With the air supply maintained the mandrel continues to support the paper roll 28 during whatever wind-off operation is required. To withdraw the inflatable mandrel 10 from the liner 30 and roll 28, the air pressure is simply released and the individual tubes deflate to their original uninflated flat condition shown by tubes 18 and 20 in the right half of FIG. 1, and in this reduced diameter condition the inflatable mandrel 10 may be conveniently removed.

In addition to acting as an axle for a winding roll, this mandrel may be used at the let-off station for loading a paper roll for let-off without the use of auxiliary hoists. To accomplish this, the mandrel 10 is inserted in the liner 30 of paper roll 28 with the ends of mandrel core 12 supported for rotation so that the axial center line of mandrel 10 is above the axial center line of the paper roll 28. Then the tubes 14, 16, 18 and 20 are inflated and the roll 28 will be lifted off the floor until the axial center line of the roll 28 shifts to approximately the same height as the height of the axial center line of the mandrel 10.

Similarly, this operation may be used at the windup station of a fabrication train to remove the take-up roll by merely reversing the steps. That is, the tubes of the inflated mandrel 10 after windup are deflated, and the axial center line of the take-up roll shift downward until the roll rests on the floor. The further deflation of mandrel 10 then permits the convenient removal of mandrel 10 from the roll.

I claim:

1. An inflatable mandrel for supporting a winding roll comprising a rigid mandrel core having a uniform diameter substantially smaller than the inside diameter of a winding roll to. be received thereon, a plurality of axially spaced annular hollow toroidal-shaped tubes encircling said mandrel core, each of said tubes being constructed of rubber reinforced plies of bias-laid textile fabric, and each tube having its inside diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the mandrel core and having its normal outside diameter when deflated only slightly greater than the diameter of the mandrel core, and each tube being cir- 4 cumferentially distensible by an inflation medium to greatly enlarge the outside diameter of each tube when inflated and cause said outside diameter to bear against a substantial area of the inside diameter of a winding roll adapted to be supported by the mandrel, and means for inflating said tubes to effect such distension of them.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,289,453 7/1942 Randall.

NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primdry Examiner. 

